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A Night Out

I think one of the hardest things about going through a time of crisis in a family is that normal life goes on. My thoughts are constantly thinking about Rachel. I have gone over things in my mind time after time. Trying to think of what is making her sick and how to get her better. I think about it when I am getting supper around, when I am throwing in a load of clothes and doing dishes. I tuck the little ones into bed and as we pray I am going over and over Rachel's condition. I go to bed praying for her, I dream about it in my sleep and I wake up asking her how she is feeling today.

So much of my life and thoughts are one focus right now; but life goes on. There are other children to care for. School supplies that need purchasing. Laundry that still needs to be done. A bathroom that needs cleaning. There has been a backed up toilet that needed a plumber called to fix. (One little boy found some neat little things under the sink that he thought made great boats!) There have been bat exterminators to find and price as we have had two bats in the house in the past week. A car that needed repair and follow-up doctor appointments for Zak that needed to be rescheduled.

Balancing it all has proven to be most difficult. Abbey has been such a blessing and a help to me. So much has gotten done because Abbey has risen to the occasion and just did what needed to be done. I could not even possibly list all the things in order to thank her. She has in some ways become me for the last month. What a blessing that has been.

Yet, Abbey has needed me. Her shoes were in desperate need of replacement. Hair accessories had been promised to her weeks ago. Still they had been left not purchased because I had been needed somewhere else. Dates had been set for a Mom and Abbey night out. Four times they had been canceled; all of them having been planned on a day that we had to take Rachel back to the doctor for an unplanned visit. Four times I told her that we would have to reschedule our date. All four times she said she understood and in a completely gracious spirit stepped in without complaining and took over in the house.

This weekend the date had been set. Friday - Mom and Abbey night out! Thursday we were in the ER with Rachel. I had my doubts if Friday would work out after all; but alas, Friday night came and it was possible for us to go.

We had such a wonderful time. We ate dinner out. We sat and talked. About school. About YDC. About how she wants to cut her hair. We laughed. We shopped. Looking at comforters she liked for her bed, trying on several pairs of tennis shoes until she found just the right pair.

It was wonderful to spend the evening with her. To tell her how proud I was of her. To tell her how much of a blessing she has been to me. It felt nice to focus on Abbey for a few hours. Knowing that she needed my thoughts to be about her for a little while. It was a thirty minute drive back home and I think she said seven times "Thanks Mom, for taking me out tonight. I had so much fun!" It was nice to tell her I had just as much fun.

It was nice to know that Rob was taking care of Rachel for a few hours and I could just focus on Abbey. What a wonderful night we had out together.